Ada Yin, 18, Workers’ Children Secondary School

Research and development (R&D) is the industry the government need to invest in. Science and technology have a huge influence on our lives. From smartphones to wireless charging, from GPS to electric cars, high-tech products make our lives much more convenient and more environmentally friendly. R&D is also an industry that can have high profits – just look at the profits from new drugs or tech gadgets. Many other places, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Singapore, have already put lots of resources into R&D. and Hong Kong should not lag behind.

Gigi Cho Wing-yi, 15, Christian Alliance SC Chan Memorial College

The government should invest in arts and culture. Hong Kong novelists are not as famous as authors from mainland China or overseas because of there isn’t a market for them to show their talents. However, some local novels are innovative and insightful. The government should also provide more resources for local singers and actors. Cantopop is catchy, and is a special part of our culture, but is isn’t as popular as K-pop or J-pop. That’s why many of Hong Kong’s stars choose to expand their careers in mainland China. And it’s not just the artists who will profit; K-pop has helped improve tourism in Korea, so investing in Cantopop would also support tourism in Hong Kong.

Grace Ying, 17, Workers’ Children Secondary School

Why not the fashion industry? Whether it’s clothing, makeup, or shoes, people pay attention to fashion news or magazines to find out about the latest trends. If Hong Kong government developed our fashion industry, I believe Hong Kong could be another “Paris”, and that would bring us a lot of economic benefits.

Justin Ying, 16, Ma On Shan Tsung Tsin Secondary School

The post-production field of movies is worthy of the government’s investment. There are many movies, TV series, and music videos made in Hong Kong, but they don’t always look so good. The special effects made by Hollywood are much more realistic than what Hong Kong does. But if Hong Kong can create good special effects, then we could also work on movies that are made on the mainland, because the quality of post-production there is not very good either.

Bobo Cheung Hok-yu, 15, Ma On Shan Tsung Tsin Secondary School

The government should invest in the medical industry. Hong Kong does not have enough doctors or nurses, so the government should put more resources towards training medical personnel. It should also invest in advanced medical equipment. This would help us with our ageing population, as it would allow scientists to do more research and develop new medicine. If Hong Kong became well-known for its medical service, it would attract patients from other countries to come here for treatment.

Kyoko Mak, 17, Workers’ Children Secondary School

I think the government should invest in the movie industry. Young Hongkongers all have dreams, and many dream of making movies. But without the resources and financial support, their dreams are just dreams. If the authorities invest in Hong Kong’s movie industry, the city will be more cultural and creative.

Joyce Lin, 16, Workers’ Children Secondary School

Hong Kong should develop its creative industry. Broadcasting, music, film, animation are now driving and sustaining growth in many countries. According to government data, the cultural and creative industries employed 210,000 people in 2013 and accounted for about 5.1 per cent of our GDP. That shows that creative industries remain an important sector of our economy. Hong Kong was once Asia’s leading producer of film and pop music, and we still have plenty of talented teenagers that simply have no avenue to show their talent.

The government should invest in the education industry, so that students in can develop their skills and find the career that’s right for them. The government should give more resources to education, because too many of our most brilliant students study abroad as they think Hong Kong’s universities are not good enough. It is a pity to loss these people. If we create a higher quality of education, we could attract different powerful people from all over the world, and that would benefit Hong Kong in many ways.

Li Zhuoxuan, 18, Worker’s Children Secondary School

The Hong Kong government can invest in the science and technology industry, such as the 3D printing industry. These fields can improve or create new things. That has a different effect on us, and it can give us a good life. The 3D printing industry can manufacture much different products, such as artificial limbs.

Lam Yu-wing, 18, Workers’ Children Secondary School

The logistics industry would be good for Hong Kong. There is a lot more demand for logistics companies because of online shopping. We need more express companies that can deliver to the mainland or overseas, then mainlanders could buy our local products online and have them delivered. This would improve our economy because it represents a huge amount of online orders.

Eunice Cheng, 15, Christian Alliance S C Chan Memorial College

Hong Kong should invest in its music industry. Cantopop used to be very hot during the 1980s and 1990s. However, K-pop and J-pop are now considered the superpowers of Asian pop music. But Cantonese is a special language which represents Hong Kong’s culture, so the government should provide more opportunities and occupations for music lovers to pursue their dreams and also promote our city!

Jacky Chan, 17, Workers’ Children Secondary School

The government should invest in the Cultural and Creative Industry (CCI). With our city’s fast information flow, Hong Kong is an excellent platform for local CCI talents to promote their products to the local, Chinese and even world markets. Moreover, coupled with our well-developed intellectual property law system and infrastructures like the West Kowloon District, Hong Kong already has a solid foundation for developing the CCI. As long as there is sufficient government support, we can soon shake off the name “Cultural Desert” and be a city of culture and elegance.

So Yuet-yu, 15, Tung Chung Catholic School

The government should invest in cultural and creative industries. We have plenty of cultural things, such as the dragon bread candy, sugar onion cake, the tram, the old buildings, and temples. The government should invest in these classics and add some new ideas to these cultures to keep HOng Kong developing.

Derek Lau, 17, Tung Chung Catholic School

I think the government should invest in musical industry. Many Hongkongers are talented musicians, but there is not a lot of opportunity for them. This blocks the development of the industry.

Wong Po-san, 16, Tung Chung Catholic School

I think our government should be invest in the industry of innovation and technology. In other countries, the innovation and technology is one of the most important industries. In Hong Kong, we have many scientists who have discovered many new technologies, but because they didn’t get enough support from the government, they needed to stop their studies.

Hilary Lau Hoi-yiu, 14, Christian Alliance SC Chan Memorial College

The government should invest more in the entertainment industry. Canto-pop used to be outstanding around Asia but now most of Hong Kong’s stars have gone to start their careers in Korea or the mainland. That’s why the government should hold some competitions or promotions to find more talented people, no matter whether they are good at singing, dancing, or even composing songs. It would be great to see more amazing people showing off their talents.

Sunny Hon, 17, Workers’ Children Secondary

Hong Kong is a commercial city with an unstoppable pace, but not many tourists know about it. It’s time to make tourists know about the stunning view from surrounding islands and encounter extraordinary festivals such as Cheung Chau Da Jiu, so I would invest in tourism.

Leung Wing-laam, 17, Workers’ Children Secondary School

I think the tourism industry should get investment. In Hong Kong we have a unique urban culture of West and East, with diverse landscapes as well as food. However, it is wasting these built-in advantages, because there are not enough hotels, scenic spots, or transportation options. So government should invest in the basis of tourism industry, such as increasing the number of hotels, protecting the environment, and perfecting the traffic system.

Henry Li ,17, Workers’ Children Secondary School

Hong Kong should invest in the music industry. For example, one outstanding band in Hong Kong is called Supper moment. Their songs are energetic and always encourage youths, so offering them – and other bands – support would do great things for our culture.

Lau Long-to, 15, Christian Alliance S C Chan college

The government should develop the E-sports industry. There are international E-sport competitions where players can win huge amounts of money. They will become very famous and get some sponsors. The Hong Kong government should provide some money to help teenagers to set up E-sports teams. You don’t need a high education so this would create opportunities for many teenagers.

Hiulan Lam, 17, Worker’s Children Secondary School

The government should invest in the catering industry. We have our own food culture in Hong Kong, but if we can spread it to the whole world we could gain a reputation.

Daniel Lo, 14, Christian Alliance S C Chan Memorial College

Computers are common nowadays and people cannot work without using them. Therefore, I believe that the government should invest in technology industries. Some people say that technology industries will be the most important industry in another 10 years. However, I think that even no, technology is affecting the whole world.

In our next Talking Points, we’ll discuss: What’s the best thing about Hong Kong? We are now accepting your answers for this topic. To take part, email your answer with your name, age, and school, along with a nice, clear selfie (make sure it’s not blurry), to yp@scmp.com by lunchtime on Monday. Don’t forget to include “Talking Points” in the subject line.